Chapter 7: Future

The next morning, Sakuno washed the dishes after breakfast. She wanted to finish it before Ryoma came down. It was another school day for students, and she's never been more energized. The events last night were enough to make her mood better today.

She heard footsteps descending the stairs and sure enough, the boy showed up in his uniform and his tennis bag slung on his body. Sakuno immediately recognized the object dangling on one of the bag's zipper.

A tennis ball keychain.

That was her Christmas present that she gave him last night after their bike session. Warmth engulfed Sakuno's whole body. Ryoma was unconsciously tugging on her heartstrings early in the morning. She was touched that she couldn't help but think that the prince treasured her small gift.

"Let's go," he said. Sakuno hastily followed him out.

Walking by the yard, Sakuno caught a glimpse of the bike that Ryoma gave him last night. As delighted as she was, humiliation and embarrassment were stronger in her memory. No matter how much Ryoma tries to be patient with her poor motor skills, she's just not born to learn how to ride a bike. She was sure that a vein popped in Ryoma's head when he ultimately surrendered and retired to his bedroom.

Seeing the bike in his peripheral vision, Ryoma couldn't help but recall the events last night. He should have seen it coming. With the way Sakuno would sway and lose balance in tennis, or even when she's just walking, he should have known that this won't work. Now that his plan was ruined, he needed to think of something to do with that rotten piece of metal.

Maybe use it as a target for his next workout.

"I'm dating Atsushi-kun!" Tomoka whispered in Sakuno's ear, but it still came out loudly. The poor girl's ear almost bled.

"W-What? Really?" Sakuno couldn't help but stand up at the news. She needed confirmation, it might be her best friend's jokes, she couldn't tell.

"He asked me out on Christmas eve at the party," she dreamily told Sakuno about Atsushi's romantic side. Sakuno knew him so well that she knew Tomoka wouldn't regret it. He's the kindest friend she's ever had, recalling the nights he tirelessly walked her home and especially when he would cover for her silly mistakes at work. Tomoka shared that she didn't immediately agree, but she thought it was worth a shot.

"That's amazing, Tomo-chan," she smiled at the girl looking dazed in love. Sakuno silently wished that she could be as brave and adventurous as her best friend. Maybe it would save her all the trouble by now.

"I know, right? For a long time, I've only focused on being Ryoma-sama's supporter and I didn't realize that I've grown up. I was still living that twelve-year-old dream, but now… I actually feel really nice about myself," she smiled. "It was refreshing to feel that someone appreciates my authentic self and I'm grateful for Atsushi even though we've only just met each other recently," she laughed, embarrassed by that last sentence.

"Tomo-chan, it's not about how long you've known each other, after all. If the feeling is there, you don't have to worry about that," Sakuno was proud of how mature Tomoka has become.

For the longest time, she witnessed her best friend become devoted to supporting her idol, Ryoma. And now that they're young adults, priorities and interests have changed. Sakuno wondered if she had already reached that point. After all, she's going to dive into the nine-to-five lifestyle sooner than the others.

"You know I'm not just telling you this just to brag about it, right?" Tomoka slid onto the seat beside Sakuno and grinned at her.

"Okay?" the timid girl shrugged. That was the face of a girl with ulterior motives, she thought. Typical Tomo-chan.

"Come on, Sakuno. Graduation is almost here, and you're still head over heels with the Ryoma. You ought to tell him about your feelings or it's game over,"

"Huh? B-But I have no intention of letting him know…" It's true. Sakuno indulged herself in thoughts of the prince, how he showed prowess in the courts, how he would ace exams, especially English, and how he simply smiled at her. It was all she wanted, nothing more. The thought of confessing to him has obviously crossed her mind, but to actually do it was out of the question. Sakuno had an idea that he would never see her that way, so to protect her own heart, she vowed to never let him know. She would be leaving the Echizen household soon, anyway, and eventually, they would forget each other as time went by.

Except she will always love him, even though he wouldn't.

"Why not? I'm pretty sure you have a good standing in his heart. He just doesn't realize," her friend loves to keep her expectations high. But this is Ryoma they're talking about. He may treat her as a friend, but that was the extent of their relationship as far as she was concerned.

"Tomo-chan. I'm not going to do it even if you say that. I know that I'm only a friend to him and I'm okay with that," there she was again, judging Ryoma's feelings. But she can't help it. Assuming worst case scenarios are better than letting herself think that the prince would actually like her, thus leading herself into heartbreak.

"Well, I got to tell you. Since I've been a superfan since middle school, I've witnessed him ignore other girls, including myself, when we try to approach him. Some of them actually think Ryoma was allergic to girls, or he's gay. But those assumptions disappeared when you were with him. He just looked like another person, being caring and attentive towards you, which is the complete opposite version of Ryoma we know,"

Sakuno was lost in a trance. Yes, she had obviously noticed the change in him. He treated her with more care than his other peers. She wondered if it's all just because she's like a sibling to him now. The realization made her good mood deflate.

Ah, that's it, I guess.

Sakuno sighed. Her mind was going to be the death of her.

"Tomo-chan. How did this conversation change from your dating life to mine?"

"A-Ah, yeah. I just want to see the two of you hit it off before we graduate. Since you've been in love with him for years. Come on, Sakuno! Haven't you ever imagined what it's like to date a guy like him?" She was visibly frustrated at her friend's lack of romance experience.

"N-No, of course not!" She lied. Sakuno had at least one or two daydreams about her crush everyday for years. But it doesn't mean she's going to actually date Ryoma. She was confident that Ryoma only sees her as a friend, or a sibling.

"You're such a pessimist, Sakuno. I know you're thinking you're not good enough for him. But he's not that perfect either. So, what I'm saying is, you've got nothing to lose if you try," Tomoka crossed her arms to make a point.

"Except I'm going to lose him if he ever finds out," she muttered to herself.

Ryoma was bored. His untouched sandwich laid on the floor of the rooftop beside his slouched form. The only thing he focused on was the ice-cold grape Ponta which he slurped every now and then. The conversational topic between his fellow classmates was about their own plans for the future. Horio bragged that he will be entering Seigaku University, although Seigaku middle school being your alma mater was enough prerequisite to enter the university. Katsuo wanted to go to Hokkaido to study at a graphic designing college and Kachiro is going to be helping his father with the tennis club management.

They all had their futures planned out differently. Especially him, leaving Japan again and living in America forever as a pro tennis player. He was happy with it, seriously. It's just that, he will be missing his friends here. Though he won't ever admit that to anyone.

Looking at the three happily sharing their most memorable moments in Seigaku had him feeling sentimental. It felt like they were saying farewell to each other, and Ryoma wondered how much he would be homesick after graduation.

"Oh, man. Finals are just around the corner. Then, I guess that's it," Horio said with gloom in his voice. He was the saddest among them, being the talkative and lively one. He's aware of his annoying presence and he wondered if Seigaku university has any guys like this group who would accept him, as well.

"Yeah… but I'm sure we'll still come back here even if we're adults," Kachiro tried to liven up the mood, but they were getting emotional.

"Ryoma-kun, when will you come back?" Katsuo asked with a sad expression.

"Hmm…"

"I hope you come back after college," Kachiro said.

"Yeah, and we'll all have a reunion with Ryuzaki and Osakada!" Horio shouted in the sky. He was so pumped up about the future that he didn't realize there were other students at the rooftop. He muttered apologies to them before they ignored him again.

"I don't know…"

Ryoma stared at the clouds. Will he ever come back? He hates to think about that but surely, he wants to.

"So, Atsushi-kun. I heard you're dating someone now," Sakuno decided to tease the guy at the kitchen, currently frying tempura. He momentarily froze but immediately composed himself.

"Oh, Sakuno-chan. Don't you tease me now. I'm sure you and Echizen-kun were far more intriguing than me and Osakada-san," he smiled mischievously at the girl. Her face became red instantly at the mere mention of his name. Sakuno was quite easy to read, even if she denies it.

She's in love with Ryoma Echizen.

"A-Atsushi-kun!" she covered her face with her apron, as if doing that would be less suspicious. Atsushi gave a hearty laugh. He was the type of person who observes people well, and during the Christmas eve party slash Ryoma Echizen's birthday party, Atsushi didn't need to squint to notice that Sakuno has been watching the boy's every move and those were undeniable looks of fondness. But that wasn't even the best part.

He would catch a glimpse of the same gaze from the boy.

And, as if that wasn't enough evidence, Atsushi learned from Tomoka that Ryoma has been secretly watching over Sakuno every night on the walk home.

"Say, Sakuno-chan," he peered over the small window through the sink, "don't you think Echizen-kun might like you, too?"

The girl sighed in exhaustion. She was beginning to get tired hearing that. Because it's just impossible in her vocabulary.

"Atsushi-kun… how many times should I-"

"Okay, okay. But hypothetically speaking, if he does like you, too… what do you think will happen?"

There was silence in the dining hall for a moment. Sakuno was surprised at herself for seriously considering the possibility. She imagined how it would go…

Ryoma picks her up for their date, go to the movies, have dinner, take her home, then he kisses her goodnight.

She imagined his face slowly coming near her own, like how near he was when she scraped her knee that Christmas night.

"No…" she slapped her cheeks with both hands and sighed, as if warm heat exited from her breath. "Impossible…"

Atsushi can only laugh out loud. It was really fun teasing girls.

"Well, off you go, kids. Stop flirting with each other and I'm closing for the night," Mr. Arata stretched his arms and took off his hat.

Even though business is not that good, he was content to work with two hard working kids. He mentally reminded himself to raise their paychecks as reward.

"Goodbye, Atsushi-kun," Sakuno bowed. Atsushi smiled at her, and he momentarily glanced behind the girl before grinning.

"Looks like I don't need to walk you home anymore," he waved his hand goodbye and went in the opposite direction. When Sakuno turned around, she saw a boy waving his own hand, seemingly directed at Atsushi, and a bike stood beside the lamp post.

She took a moment to admire him. The lamp shone on his facial features, accentuating his jawline, his ruffled hair with the absence of his signature cap. Ryoma looked serene as he stood there, with a small smirk on his lips.

He looked like a real modern prince in her eyes that she can't help but drown in her feelings of adoration for him, and the happiness took over her own body.

"R-Ryoma-kun!" she almost immediately ran towards him.

"Don't run, idiot! It's slippery," he told her with slight annoyance. He didn't have a spare band aid today for Sakuno's clumsiness.

Ignoring the insult, Sakuno ran to him, excitement engulfed her. It felt like she hadn't seen him for so long even though they basically live in the same house and go to the same school. But she did miss him.

Failing to miss a small puddle on the road, Sakuno slipped and almost fell on the ground, if not for Ryoma's quick reflexes. He held Sakuno's arm which prevented her from falling face first. Sakuno unconsciously grabbed on his jacket for support as she struggled to stand, like a deer learning to walk.

"T-Thank you, Ryoma-kun- oof!"

She slipped for the second time and inevitably hugged Ryoma, her face planted on his chest. She heard the loud throbbing of his heart, almost in sync with her own heartbeat.

Ryoma froze, his arms trapped in her tight hug.

"Ryuzaki…" he tried his best to carry her weight, "you okay?"

"Y-Yeah…" she muttered through his chest. It was probably the most embarrassing moment in her life. After finally regaining balance and a dry spot to stand on, Sakuno let go of Ryoma's body. There was an awkward minute as they both straightened their own clothes before he decided to grab the bike, got on, and gestured for Sakuno to get on the backseat.

"T-Thank you for doing this today…" she finally managed to sit with her legs on the side, hands gripping on his jacket.

"Since you're impossible to teach, I've got no choice, don't I?" he turned around and smirked at her. Sakuno almost fell off her seat. There goes Ryoma's signature smirk and his teasing. She was annoyed but deep inside, she was in the clouds.

The ride home was cold, but Sakuno didn't care. All she did was stare at the back of Ryoma's head, the way his hands steered the bike, and the way his legs pedaled. She was thinking the whole time, how come every time he was with him, she falls in love over and over again?

That Sunday morning, Ryuzaki Sakuno woke up thinking that she wanted to visit her grandmother's grave. She felt miserable suddenly. She didn't know why, but her heart was longing for the coach.

Watching the girl consume her breakfast slowly, Ryoma wondered what was wrong with her. He was used to her usual cheerful self, but now she's like an empty shell.

"Ryuzaki," he called. The girl stared at her rice as she replied a silent 'hm'.

"Something wrong?" he asked in a casual manner. The girl nodded slowly but that didn't seem to convince him. He wondered what was wrong this time. Is it anyone's birthday? No. Failed exam? Not for another month. Did he say anything last night? No. He remembered clearly how happy Sakuno was when they got home. So, what was the problem?

Popping his thought bubble, Sakuno suddenly spoke.

"Ryoma-kun. I'd like to visit grandmother's tomb," she looked at him with sorrowful eyes that Ryoma couldn't help but feel her sadness, too.

Oh, right. It's been months since the coach died. Ever since she completely moved out of their house, Sakuno never returned there again, and she didn't go back to the cemetery after the interment. She must have been missing her so much.

"Sure. I'll go with you," he said as he finished her breakfast. He noticed her eyes twinkle, and she had a small smile after that.

It was only the two of them who intended to go at first, but Nanjirou heard this and decided that the whole family would visit the coach. So, that afternoon, they all headed to where Sumire is. When they arrived, Rinko prepared an offering and incense to place by the tombstone.

Sakuno kneeled in front and prayed. She remembered why she wanted to go there suddenly.

She had a dream that her grandmother was embracing her. And in the dream, she was healthy. Sakuno saw her usual body weight, and her confident smile.

She wiped a few tears from her cheeks as she lit the incense and offered a prayer to her. Soon, the whole family followed suit and prayed as well. Nanjirou was silent. He actually missed the old hag's scolding and teasing; it made him smile. Rinko kneeled beside Sakuno and put her hand on the young girl's shoulder as comfort.

She wanted Sakuno to feel that they will always be here for her no matter what.

They enjoyed a mini picnic beside her grandmother's grave, successfully cheering up Sakuno. While Ryoma took a walk around the cemetery, looking at random tombstones out of boredom, the two adults talked to Sakuno.

"Sakuno-chan, what are you going to do after graduation?" Nanjirou asked.

"Um, I'll be working right after then. A-And I'll be moving out," She finally managed to tell them. She was initially afraid if they would approve, but the two had no such violent reaction. They were unexpectedly cool about it. She was a little relieved.

"Are you sure you can manage?" Rinko was a bit worried about the girl. She feared Sakuno might be depressed if left alone and would self-destruct.

"She's going to be okay," the old man smiled.

"How do you know?"

"She's been raised by one of the toughest women I know," Nanjirou looked at Sumire's tombstone with a soft expression.

That statement made Sakuno happy. That's right. She can do it with grandmother's guidance.

Rinko sighed.

"Okay, if you're sure. But Sakuno-chan, you must remember that if you ever feel alone, you can come back to us," the older woman said. "Your Uncle Nanjirou, Aunt Rinko, and Ryoma will always be here for you, no matter what."

"Y-Yes, Aunt Rinko! Thank you to both of you for being cool about this,"

"Have you told Ryoma about this, though? He always worries about you when you go to work at night, you know," Rinko blushed as her heart fluttered at her son's romantic gesture.

"You said it, Rinko. Sakuno, listen here," Nanjirou scoot over to sit closer to Sakuno. He peeked at the boy standing a few meters from them before continuing his speech, "that guy never bikes around, but that night he suddenly did." He motioned a disapproving look.

"That kid is never honest with himself," Nanjirou mouthed a 'tsk tsk' before returning to his wife's side. Sakuno panicked. Ryoma must've been troubled a lot by her.

She stood up and dusted her dress before running after the boy.

"I-I'll go tell him!"

The couple watched the two talks in the far distance. Nanjirou turned to Sumire's tomb and smiled.

"Don't worry, old hag. Your granddaughter's in good hands," he said as he returned her gaze to Ryoma and Sakuno.

To be continued.